Candy, gum, and other small consumable items are sold in packaging that provides for closed storage and selective removal of the items for consumption. Plastic boxes with lids or dispensers are sometimes utilized, such as in selling Tic Tac brand mints. Small tins or cardboard boxes are used to package and sell mints and lozenges, such as Sucrets brand lozenges. Small consumable items are also sold in cardboard boxes (such as Milkduds brand candies), sealed plastic bags (M&M brand candies) and rolls (Lifesavers brand candies). Such packaging is suitable for the purpose of selling and the small consumable items and storing them until consumption, but rarely have any utility once the consumable items are gone. Also, although the packages may have attractive trade dress, they lack any true uniqueness and panache in and of themselves.
Candy, gum and other small consumables are also often linked to a sports marketing theme. Bubble gum and baseball cards are a classic example of such marketing tie-ins, and ice cream has been sold in plastic replicas of team logo baseball batting helmets. Purchasers are attracted to the product by the dual lure of the sports memorabilia as well as the product itself. The businesses marketing such products reap additional benefits in that product awareness continues if the associated packaging item is retained by the purchaser after consumption of the product.
It is believed that a sports associated appeal of a product could be enhanced if the product were useful after consumption of the items sold therein. It is also believed that this concept has applicability outside the area of sports and in association with items other than edibles.